


Times are Changing, Aren't They?

by BakedYams



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Dont you hate it when you write one scene and suddenly its a full fic, F/M, Gen, anyways chrom and frederick bonding, chrom: i love robin, like months after, me: cheers I'll drink to that bro, oh i should probably say this takes place after the war with plegia, robins not even in this fic they just talk about her, this fics basically: frederick goes to yell at chrom but then immediately feels bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 07:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19127170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakedYams/pseuds/BakedYams
Summary: Chrom misses an important meeting and Frederick feels that Chrom didn't grow into the responsible king he thought he was.~~A conversation between a lord and his knight.





	Times are Changing, Aren't They?

**Author's Note:**

> I sneezed and this fic appeared.

Contrary to what many has said, the Exalt hasn’t grown up one bit. 

With a scowl on his face, Frederick marched his way down the hallway. Though he wasn’t adorning his usual blue armor, his footsteps made just as much noise as he would’ve with it on. Soldiers, nobles, and maids standing in the hallway all made a clear path for the older knight, nervously looking away from his annoyed expression. All those Frederick passed had the same feeling of pity for the young newly crowned Exalt. 

To Frederick, he couldn’t care about all the pity in the world. His lord did not need that; rather like the child he still insists to behave as, Frederick needed to scold him. How could he completely abandon an important meeting with southern Ylissean farmers? Not only does this put up an image that he doesn’t care for the common people, but that rumors can be twisted that Ylisstol no longer values those outside the main city. The nobles themselves didn’t see happy as well. 

What made Frederick confused was that Chrom has been pretty attentive with previous meetings, especially since returning from their campaign in Plegia. Of course he talks about his disdain attending these meetings, but at least he was  _ participating _ in them. Yes, he has missed (or have been late to) a few, but he was at least able to notify the knight in order to announce this to the guests. 

But now to miss one, and of all the meetings to miss…

Once he reached the large doors leading to Chrom’s room, he stood there completely buried in his thoughts. The two guards protecting the Exalt’s doors nervously exchanged glances between each other and the knight, before backing off and marching away. Resting his hands on the door knob, Frederick suddenly felt a slight wave of nostalgia to when he used to chase his lord out of his room when he was just a boy. Chrom had a habit of missing classes and hiding either in his room or outside. 

Frederick paused. 

Chrom didn’t sneak outside the castle, did he?

Readying himself for the sight of an empty room, Frederick finally pushed the doors opened. Unlike what he expected, they were not locked. There, Frederick thankfully found the man he was looking for sitting on the corner of his bed, hunched over with his forehead, leaning on his hands. All the scolding the knight has prepared on his walk through to his room immediately disappeared once he felt a sense of despair. 

Frederick took a few steps into Chrom’s room and closed the door behind him as quietly as possible. Though with his footsteps, he knew Chrom realized he was there, the blue haired lord made no movements to acknowledge him. 

“Milord.” Frederick finally spoke up, cautiously walking towards him. Chrom finally looked up, locking eyes with his knight. “May I ask if there is something the matter?” 

At his question, Chrom let out a long tired sigh and looked back down, shaking his head. 

“I...no. I honestly don’t know.” Chrom replied in a low voice. Frederick stood in front of the blue lord and looked at him sympathetically. Perhaps this was about his late sister once more. Though her passing was months ago, he often found Chrom and Lissa silently mourning at random times to themselves. Frederick contemplated comforting the man, or leaving him alone. Before Frederick could offer some words of comfort, Chrom spoke up once more. 

“I’ve spoken to Robin just now. She made a decision to move out of the castle and live a life on her own.” 

Silence broke between the two, and Frederick furrowed his eyebrows. 

“She’s leaving?” He asked. Chrom nodded. 

“Next week.” He looked back at Frederick, letting out a soft yet strained smile. “She said she wanted to find out more about her past, maybe even find her family.” 

Frederick wasn’t sure how to respond. So he went with the first in his mind. 

“This upsets you, doesn’t it?” The knight states. Chrom sighed once more and stared at his hands.

“It shouldn’t. I’m happy for her. The reasons she gave were right. Who am I to stop her from searching about herself?” He said. 

“But…” Frederick pressed. 

“But I…just can’t let her go.” Chrom finishes. “I can’t, Frederick. For the past year or so, I’ve travelled with her by my side everyday. She’s become apart of my life so easily, and now…” Chrom pauses with another pained sigh, “I can’t imagine it without her.” Chrom buried his face again. “She doesn’t even know if she’ll return, and she refuses to have any of the shepherds accompany her for safety. I’m worried for her, though I know she could survive out there alone. But that’s not it. It's not the dangers out there that scares me.” Chrom says. “It’s that she wont even come back, and I’ll never get to be near her again.”

Suddenly, Frederick knew what was going on. 

“I don’t know why…It's impractical, selfish, and just stubborn. But I want her with me forever.” Chrom says. “What is wrong with me..?” He dryly laughs. “It’s awful…”

“No, milord.” Frederick began. “Perhaps…if I might be so bold to say…” He trailed off. 

“You’re in love.”

Alarmed, Chrom looked up at his knight and squinted his eyes. He opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but nothing came out. 

His response was clear enough. 

To the older knight, the boy he practically raised since he was young has aged in front of him. No longer was he the stubborn boy who refused to go out to lessons in favor of running around in the fields to swing his blade. Now, he was the Exalted king of a nation. A man in love with a woman who had plans to leave from his life. 

“You’re in love with Robin.” Frederick repeated. 

“I am…aren’t I…” Chrom mumbled, more of a statement rather than a question. 

“Yes…And might I say, Robin is a wonderful person. It’s no wonder you fell for her.” Frederick added, a soft smile growing on his lips. Chrom smiled too, seemingly relieved. 

“What should I do, Frederick?” He asked. Frederick considered the options. He didn’t want to give Chrom false hope that Robin would accept his feelings, abandon her plans for him, and spend the rest of her life in the castle with no answers about her life or family. Judging by how sudden she made her plans, Frederick doesn’t doubt that Robin has had pressure from the noble council to break ties from their new Exalt. Therefore...

“Let her leave.” Frederick states, firm. Chrom looks at him, even more alarmed than before. His smile gone and replaced with a frown. 

“What?!”

“Patience, sire.” Frederick raised his hands up in defense. “I think that letting her leave would be the smartest decision. But, before she goes please let her know of your affections.” He continued, “so after her journey, she would have a reason to come back.”

Chrom furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

“But how would I know she would return?” He asked, a hint of paranoia hidden in his voice. Frederick locked eyes with the blue haired lord. 

“I have a feeling one of the reasons she wishes to leave aside from finding her family is that she feels she is a burden for you to care for now that the war is over.” 

“She…” Chrom trailed off. “But I’ve told her she isn’t...”  Chrom spoke quietly to himself, but loud enough for the knight to catch. 

“Milord, telling her is completely different from showing her. She’s quiet stubborn, from what I’ve learned.” Frederick added, humor adorning his voice. Chrom finally let out the first genuine chuckle. 

“Yeah, she really is.” He said fondly. “Which is why she isn’t backing up from her plan.” His smile quickly disappeared. “Frederick...I don’t want her to think she has to stay because I love her. I want her to be free. She told me she wanted to be independent, and who am I to deny her that?” 

“Which is why you should let her leave.” Frederick answered without hesitation. “She is correct, she should gain independence on her own. But once she leaves she has that freedom to choose if she wants to come back to you, to call this castle home.” Unable to hold back a smirk, Frederick added, “besides, I’m fairly confident that she would return your feelings as well. At least, judging from the way she would speak of you with a warm loving smile on her face.”

Chrom stared at his knight as if he sprouted a second head. Within seconds after the words settled in, Chrom’s eyes widened with new resolve. A large boyish grin immediately spread out in his face, and he stood up. 

“She..She loves me back?!” Chrom asks with as much excitement as a child opening a new present. Frederick held his hands up once more. 

“I can’t completely promise that to be true. But there is no denying the fact that she does truly care for you.” He says. A red blush grew on Chrom’s cheeks, as he ran his hand through his hair and began to laugh; in relief, embarrassment, joy, Frederick didn’t know. 

Letting out a sigh to calm down his excitement (though it failed to do), Chrom clenched his fists. 

“I..I’ll talk to her.” He finally said. “I won’t let her know now, but I want to at least apologize to her for my actions once she told me of her plans.” Frederick almost questioned what he meant by “actions”, but felt it probably wasn’t appropriate. “I also need some time to...prepare. I could feel my heart about to give out. How will I even tell her that I love her?” Chrom asked. 

“Perhaps…Some flowers would be a start.” Frederick suggested. “I shall prepare a bouquet to be sent to her office from the finest fl-”

“No no, Frederick. That isn’t needed. I will think it through.” Chrom insisted. His eyes trailed off to the side with his wide grin lessening to a smaller warm smile. “I’ll, I’ll tell her from my heart…”

“Will you go to her now?” Frederick asked. Chrom nodded. 

“She should be in the library, as she always is.” Chrom said, starting to walk past the great knight. “Perhaps I should get her a book as a gift…” He thought aloud as he kept walking. 

Frederick watched as his lord suddenly stopped in front of his door and stood there for a moment of hesitation. Frederick raised an eyebrow in concern. 

“Milord?” 

“...I really do love her, Frederick.” Chrom said in a low warm voice. “I can’t believe it took me so long to realize.” Chrom turned around. “I’ve been in love with her since the moment I’ve picked her up from that field.” 

Chrom took quick large steps towards the confused knight, before quickly wrapping his arms around him. Frederick held his breath as Chrom patted him on the back. “Thank you, Frederick, for helping me.”

Chrom pulled away, placing his hands on Fredericks shoulders. He gave his shoulders one last squeeze before completely letting go and leaving the room. 

Frederick stared blankly in shock (and slight embarrassment), before loosening up and straightening his clothes. How very... _ him _ it was to act with emotion, Frederick thought fondly. Frederick sighed as he himself began slowly make his way out of the room. Times were changing fast in the castle. Soon enough, if Naga (and Robin) permits, he might find himself serving Robin as a royal consort. He chuckled at the idea. The unkempt messy tactician found on some side of the road soon to become the queen of a nation. What a thought. 

Yet, like Chrom, he truly couldn’t see her anywhere else but Chrom’s side.

Before Frederick made it near the door, Chrom stuck out his head from the other side. 

“Oh and Frederick?” He started, “Apologies for missing the meeting! Just tell them I got sick or something.” Chrom said, before immediately disappearing again.”

Frederick paused before squinting his eyes, his face growing into a displeasured expression. He completely forgot about the meeting, while Chrom though so little of it. 

Chrom may have his moments of growth and responsible leadership, but Frederick knows he will always be the stubborn boy who refuses to be stuck in castle rules. 

Exiting the room, Frederick sent a small prayer to Naga, hoping Robin would accept his lords feelings and soon set him straight on the importance of politics. 

**Author's Note:**

> Frederick voice: these two are taking too long let me just...save their time or smth. 
> 
> Anyways this fic plays into a headcanon I have about Robin leaving for a month or two to travel around Plegia and Ylisse to find her family. I have a lot of ideas about the time between the war ending and the time Chrom and Robin got married so...I'm tryna slowly write fics for that lol. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it lmaooo


End file.
